Welcome to MMX: Thoughts and Resolutions

By means of a “yes, I’m fluent in weirdo” intro to the new year, did you know that MMX is the roman number for 2010? Furthermore, did you know that in 1996, Intel released the Pentium MMX chip, which stood for “MultiMedia eXtensions” and was the first step in getting more graphics oriented processing on the chip itself. However, if you want to play the “Terminator Card” you COULD wonder a bit more and ponder that maybe, just maybe, the Pentium MMX chip was ACTUALLY reverse engineered from some kind of chip they found that was really from 2010, and now we’re spiraling down some crazy path towards Skynet, or the Twitter Monster, or something else?

Regardless, Happy New Year everybody!!! I hope you had a rockin’ or relaxing transition. For me, I had no intentions of staying up until midnight, but the Mrs. and I watched a movie that kept us engaged until midnight. Then queue up the “mini war” since the sound of fireworks and various handguns cracks even louder against the hill in which we live. Fortunately the dogs did not freak and the kids didn’t wake up. I gave my wife a kiss and fell asleep.

New Years are typically about resolutions, to which I’ve abstained from in the past. I’ve always believed that if I had to use a specific day to get myself onto the path of discipline and regiment, then maybe I was a bit too lazy. However, this past year has opened up my eyes to the fact that I DO need to get a few things going and this is the perfect time to take that first step in a new direction. While I’m not sure I’ll pull all of these off, here are the three things that I’d like to see happen the most this year.

1. Read more books

Outside of the blogs and occasional Star Wars book I read with, I’m looking to read more stuff to broaden my base. Here’s the list so far:

The Bible : I’ve never actually done it all in a year and our church is doing a series this year to make it happen. Perfect timing!

GK Chesterton’s Orthodoxy: Three or Four blogs I read mentioned this book or quoted it within a span of a week, so I figure this was a sign of a good place to start. I just got it in from the library, so I’m eager to start.

Something by Andrew Walls, or Lamin Sanneh, or Philip Jenkins: Recommended to me as experts on the “global church” or “world Christianity” as it is defined now.

Twilight Series: I’ve already read the first one, but owe it to the Mrs. to finish off the series.

???: I need more suggestions! That’s where you come in, fellow reader. Give me some ideas! Shoot, I’ll even learn Python if there’s a good book covering it.

2. Get Back into Running

I live in a cross county runners dream. Trails and hills in every direction from my house. Weather that never gets too hot and even the days it would be snowing it isn’t too deep that I couldn’t go into a run. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rolled down the window on the way to work or the store and the smell has brought me back to a cross county meet or run I went on and the great memories therein. It may start out as a simple 3 mile run on the weekends while the girls take a nap, but I’ll be on the trails nonetheless.

3. Get a Couple small Projects Going (and make $$$)

There’s a couple of ideas I have been kicking around that would hopefully not take too much work to put into place, and make a bit of money on the side. Nah, it wouldn’t replace my career, but it would help cover the bills and make a few extra coffee runs for me and the Mrs. More details to come on these.

So that’s what this year is looking like for starters. How about yours?